


His Joining

by Talvi (inn_havi)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:29:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26505967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inn_havi/pseuds/Talvi
Summary: What happened at the joining might be a secret, but that doesn't mean that the mind won't wander.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	His Joining

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clayre](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clayre/gifts).



> I know so much on the history of Thedas but the lore of the Grey Wardens and the joining absolutely alludes me. Still, you deserve the good stuff on Alistair. This is short, but I still hope you enjoy this.

“It’s terribly dreadful here, isn’t it?” A young man aged only 19 remarked to the man and women aged slightly older than him standing beside him. “The chill in the air, the dark. Very creepy.”

“You better shut it,” the man who was focused on getting blood growled at him.

“What, you scared big guy?” The woman scoffed, placing a hand on her hip as she held onto her share of darkspawn blood.

“How could you be scared after killing a bunch of darkspawn for their blood?” The senior Warden asked him with a slight jest, observing the three recruits in front of him. “Everyone has their blood, yes?” He looked at the younger of the group whose attention was focused on their surroundings instead of the words being spoken. What was his name…? “Alistair?”

“Oh, uh, yes!” Alistair held his small share of the darkspawn blood up for the warden to see, only about fifty percent aware of what was happening outside of his own world. He watched the Warden give a disgruntled sigh before following him and the other two recruits back on the path through the Korcari Wilds to Ostagar. “I was wondering,” Alistair began, “what’s to happen to the recruit that came with me but didn’t show up to join us on this trip out here?”

“I can’t tell you that,” the Warden replied shortly. “Although you’re welcome to think on it.”

“I would rather not, actually.” Alistair could see that they were close to the edge of the wilds after only a thirty minute walk.

“It would be foolish of him to run,” the burly man with an attitude noted. “That would be good means for death there.”

The woman rolled her eyes, not at all impressed by his “strong man” attitude that he had going on.

“Try not to dwell on it.” The Warden told him before calling to the gatekeepers to let them in, leading the group inside. As they entered the fortress, the recruits were able to spot a bloodied dead man being carried away.

“Oh.” Alistair recognized the corpse as the man who had made the latter part of the journey with him in order to take the part in the Joining. That question got answered relatively quickly.

“What the hell…” the larger man swallowed while the stout woman just carried on with her walk as though she hadn’t seen anything different or disturbing in comparison to her day-to-day.

“This way.” The Warden continued walking along to where he had previously been told to meet Commander Duncan in order to proceed with the second part of the ceremony.

The commander stood in waiting with a large silver chalice in his hands. “It is good to see you three still stand.” He observed them as they stepped up to him in a line, the Warden taking the blood from them and adding it into the chalice. “The joining is to continue. Darrus, if you would please repeat the words that have been spoken since the first.”

“We have to drink the blood?” The large man who had been acting tough whispered to the woman who simply waved him off.

“Join us, brother and sisters,” Warden Darrus began. “Join us in the shadows where we stand vigilant. Join us as we carry the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not be forgotten. And that one day we shall join you.” It was some deep shit, none of them could lie about that. It was rather foreboding no matter who you were.

“Now,” Duncan held out the chalice to the woman. “Avalina, please step forward.” Everyone watched as she took a breath before going straight for a gulp of the bloodied mixture and handing it back to him. There was no reaction at first, then she let out a grunt of pain whilst bending over and holding her head. Her eyes were squeezed tight, then opened to show only the whites. She dropped to her knees, then fell unconscious momentarily before coming to after hitting the ground.

“Shit…” The man gulped anxiously, curling his fingers as his palms began to sweat.

“Laro, please step forward.” Duncan now handed the chalice to him, Warden Darrus helping Avalina sit up. If she was fine, then surely he would? He took the chalice held in front of him, noticing how he trembled before taking a drink. He barely had enough time to put it back in the commander’s hands before yelling out of pain and terror, repeating a similar sequence to Avalina before simply falling flat on the ground.

“I am sorry, Laro…” Duncan hid any extra remorse, finally looking to the youngest of the bunch. Honestly, there wasn’t much apprehensiveness from either party. A trained Templar recruit with a spirit larger than life itself. Surely he would be fine. “Step forward, Alistair.” He handed the chalice over, watching the young man take a gulp with almost no hesitation before taking it out of his hands and setting it to the side. There was a 50/50 chance that he could end up like either party that had already tried their hand: alive or dead.

“I don’t-” Alistair’s thoughts were cut off as a sharp pain struck him on the head. He let out a groan, holding his head at the temples and squeezing his eyes shut as though that were going to help at all. “Gah!” He flashed his eyes open, only seeing demons squirming about as eerie noises of the being filled his ears. He wasn’t even aware that he had fallen, not until he was able to see Duncan, Warden Darrus, and Avalina above him.

“The ritual has been completed.” Duncan held out a hand for him. “Welcome, Warden Alistair.”


End file.
